‘The Chosen’ Creator Dallas Jenkins Explains Comment On Mormons

The crowdfunded series' creator once again explained his beliefs on whether Mormons are Christians.

Dallas Jenkins, the man behind the most successfully crowdfunded series of all time called "The Chosen," took to YouTube last Thursday to put an end to the rumors about his beliefs about Mormonism and its connection to his widely popular multi-season series about the life of Jesus Christ. The show has been streamed almost 400 million times worldwide.

"I probably need to add a little clarification to the LDS question when it comes to 'The Chosen,'" Jenkins said in the YouTube video, adding that it would be "my final comment on the matter...because I've given dozens and dozens of comments about it that seemed to be unfortunately ignored by several people."

The Mormon Connection in 'The Chosen'

Jenkins has long been mentioning that he has friends who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS church, the Christian Post reported. In fact, among them are the brothers behind Angel Studios, the streaming platform distributing "The Chosen." But Jenkins has clarified that the studio owners' beliefs are not connected to the content in "The Chosen."

In the video, Jenkins also shared questions he had been asked on news articles that claimed Mormons, LDS, and Evangelicals "love the same Jesus" and that "LDS are Christians." The "Chosen" creator clarified that he never said that "LDS are Christians" and that his past statements may have been misinterpreted, citing that "nuance matters" and he "probably could have given more context and clarity."

Also Read:'The Chosen' Team Says 'We're Not Produced By Mormons' In Response To Criticism

Jenkins admitted that throughout his writing and interviews, he tries "very hard to be nuanced," "cautious," and "wise," but unfortunately, he does not "always succeed" in doing so. Recognizing that he could never take back what he said, he said he would only give it "a little bit more clarity."

Jenkins added that if he had indeed said that "LDS are Christians," this would start a problem, "Not because there aren't LDS folks who aren't Christians and not because there aren't LDS and Evangelicals who love the same Jesus, but because it would be wrong of me to ever say that any one group believes any one thing altogether. That is just a level of arrogance that I don't have."

Angel Studios Commits $100 Million in New Family Content

Meanwhile, Angel Studios, where viewers can stream "The Chosen," has announced more than $100 million in new original content during an investor's event last week. The studio said it aims to produce stories that "amplify light" in a world with so much darkness, the Christian Headlines reported.

During the "Illuminate '22" live stream, Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon said that the studio is set to launch more than a dozen new family-friendly projects as a way of "amplifying light" in the world. Angel Studios was founded as an alternative to Hollywood and its projects are financed through crowdfunding and venture capital firms. Over 50,000 people have invested in Angel Studios projects, Harmon reported.